Yo! Yao could be done, for good

Source: ESPN

The Houston Rockets already said that Yao Ming's recovery from a broken foot was behind schedule, but that setback might now cost him all of next season or worse.

"At this point, the injury has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career threatening," team physician Tom Clanton said, according to the Houston Chronicle. "One of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that, to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery."

The team is weighing different options. Yao suffered a hairline fracture of the tarsal navicular bone of his left foot in the Rockets' second-round playoff loss to the Lakers on May 8.

The team initially said Yao would miss eight to 12 weeks, but a bone scan last week revealed that the fracture is not healing properly.

"We are not going to comment," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said, according to the Chronicle, "until we have all the facts."

.....more

Not good. But not surprising either. Being 7'6" just walking would hurt ones feet let alone playing basketball. Rockets definitely have to trade the malcontent McGrady in order to get a big man.

China's Empty Nest

I love the guy at the beginning who says "It's not about the money, it's about spirit." Easy to say when it's not your money!

How can a stadium not be used for anything? Olympic Stadium in Montreal, the biggest debacle of all time, still held many events afterwards like baseball, football, concerts. Even though it went way over-budget it did recup it's losses over the years and is still in use today.

The problem in China was the built EVERYTHING new and in one central area. Again using the Montreal example they used alot of existing arenas in 1976. Remember Sugar Ray Leonard's gold medal? That was at the Maurice Richard Arena. Remember Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10? That was at the famous Montreal Forum. And they still lost a tonne of money.

China is getting no return at all. The Chinese prepared for years and spent billions of dollars for essential a 2 week orgasm. The Bird's Nest should be China's Wembley stadium. They could have Chinese national team soccer games there plus concerts. But in China every needs security (cause we all know the Chinese are a fanatical, rioting kind of people) and everything is corrupt. Six or seven million dollars a day to hold an event there? Holy shit how many people have their hands in the pie?

We'll see what London does in 2012 but I don't think they're building much from scratch. They will build a new Olympic Stadium but the tennis will be at Wimbledon, the soccer will be at Wembley, and the basketball will be at the O2 Arena. That will reduce alot of costs.

Philippine roasted pig parade

From Reuters, Roasted pigs in costumes are paraded on the feast of John the Baptist.



That's alot of pigs!

Asian Ripoff LXX - My Favorite Things

Artists: Mao Daichi(left) and Minako Honda
Language: Japanese

Youtube Link

Very nicely done :)

Everybody has a stream bath

Source: VietNamNet

Each afternoon, Vu Oai commune in Quang Ninh province in Vietnam is very bustling, like during a festival. Everybody from kids to elderly people cheerfully go to the local stream to swim.

In Vu Oai, from babies of 2-3 years old to old people of 70-80, everyone is closely attached to the local stream. Vu Oai commune’s chairman named Tay said having a stream bath is a cultural aspect of local residents.

At 4-5pm everyday, both in summer and winter, everyone goes to the stream to swim.

Hmmm I don't know. A stream bath every single day? Once in awhile would be cool but to go there everyday would get boring pretty quick. Although it must be nice to be able to swim year-round without freezing your ass off.

I like the girl with the polka-dot pants. That's cute :)

Did You Get Your Dad Condoms?

Source: Shanghaist

The more filial amongst us know that Father's Day was this past Sunday. While many of us were giving flowers or chocolate (or in one editor's case, a bottle of 12-year-old Jamesons) for our dad, a 13-year-old Chinese girl gave her single dad a box of condoms as the "ultimate gift for Father's Day.

"Dad,

First of all, Happy Father's Day! I am going to give a very special present today; I hope that you will not be mad at me! Hehe! (Pig head)

I know that you have been working hard in and outside of our house. You have to go on business trips often while taking good care of me. For your health and happiness in life, I bought the newest style of condoms for you! I have seen the same brand that you bought before in your drawer! (Heart)

I hope that you understand my heart! Haha~ Again, Happy Father's Day! I also hope that you will find a pretty girlfriend soon! Hehe~ Relax, I won't tell mom!

Your well-behaved daughter, Wenwen.
June 21st."

Since the photo has been posted online, many netizens have expressed their feelings towards this incident. Some of them resented that the father did not respect his daughter's privacy and posted the letter online; some others are surprised that the child is so precocious. However, most of the people are approved of what this lovely daughter did for her dad,

"Your daughter is very understanding of you! She is afraid that you are lonely and asks you to find a girlfriend, very caring."

"Your daughter wants you to find her a mother.“

"Don't scold your daughter! She is so cute!"

People seem to like what the girl did for her father. However, in most cases, Chinese still have doubts about condoms -- the condoms can surely prevent STD and pregnancy, but does approving condom using mean to support premarital sex?

The father's already been marrying so talking about premarital sex at this stage seems obsolete. Unless the father is going for 18 year old virgins.

A 13-year old even knowing about condoms is good. Some have critizied the Chinese for not knowing enough about sex so the fact that she knows is encouraging.

How did she buy condoms? Do they sell condoms to 13-year olds?

But I was always taught adult business does not concern kids. Remember when you were a kid and if there were guest over to the house you were immediately sent away.

"This is adult business, kids go play in the other room"
"Get out of here, the adults are talking"

In Asian culture there a huge hierarchal difference between adults and children. Even young adults are very nervous when speaking to older people. So I think although cute, it's still inappropriate for kids to encourage their fathers to have sex.

Filipino inmates honour Michael Jackson's death

Source: UPI

Hundreds of inmates in a Philippines prison honored the late pop icon Michael Jackson the way they've always celebrated his music, officials said, by dancing.

During the past two years, the more than 1,000 prisoners of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center have routinely danced in unison to Jackson's "Thriller" album. The spectacle of the orange uniform-clad men's synchronized dancing not only attracted hundreds of curiosity-seekers to the prison but a video of it became an Internet sensation. The 4-minute video clip attracted 23 million views after being posted in 2007.

"He is like the God to them. It is Michael's music that gives them international recognition," Byron Garcia, a security consultant at the prison told Xinhua inside the sprawling jail.

After Jackson died Thursday, the prisoners decided to perform to four Jackson songs in a row as a final tribute.

The 1,581 inmates, serving sentences up to 10 years for murder, rape and drug crimes, Saturday danced to an audience of about 500 visitors and journalists, the Chinese news service reported.

"I am really sad, because Michael Jackson is my idol," said an inmate officials identified as one of the primary dance coaches. "Filipinos are so Westernized and that's why lots of us loved Michael."

Jackson performed in Manila in December 1996.

I'm always amazing how co-ordinated the dancing is. I remember watching the Thiller one and it was great! Here's the newest one.

Inmates singing "We are the World". I think I've seen everything now :)


Youtube Link

4-month prison term for groping

Source: Breitbart

Kazuhide Uekusa, once a well-known TV commentator and economist, will get four months in prison for molesting a female high school student on a Tokyo train in 2006 as a petty bench of the Supreme Court decided earlier this week to turn down his final appeal.

Presiding Judge Takaharu Kondo of the third petty bench made the decision Thursday, upholding the 4-month prison term handed down in district and high court trials against Uekusa for public indecency.

According to the lower courts' rulings, Uekusa, 48, put his hand up the high school student's skirt and touched her body on the night of Sept. 13, 2006, on a commuter train between Shinagawa and Kamata stations on the Keihin Kyuko Line.

Uekusa pleaded not guilty, saying he was mistaken for the real perpetrator.

But the Tokyo District Court convicted Uekusa based on eyewitnesses' testimonies, and the Tokyo High Court affirmed the ruling.

Earlier, Uekusa was convicted of public indecency and fined 500,000 yen for trying to look up a female high school student's skirt using a mirror at a Tokyo railway station in April 2004. He was a professor at Waseda University at that time.

Sad isn't it. Well known tv presenter, experct economist, charged in petty court. I'm sure he had everything, probably was married. He's known for his criminal events. It's just an illness isn't it :(

Chinese newspapers mourn the death of Michael Jackson

Source : Danwei

In lieu of an in-depth front page story today, here's a collection of front pages from Chinese newspapers who marked the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson:



Most of the headlines are variations on either "Michael Jackson dies" or "Goodbye Michael." A few newspapers went with something different, but the usual punning headlines that accompany major international news stories were fairly uncommon:

* Dongguan Times (东莞时报): "The Whole World Mourns"
* Chengdu Evening News (成都晚报): "Farewell to a Legend"
* New Information (新消息报): "The King Will Not Return"
* Modern Express (现代快报): "Heaven Gets the Moonwalk"
* City Evening News (城市晚报): "Remember"
* Chinese Business View (华商报): "The Black and White Life of a Lonely King"

Michael Jackson was a big influence on Rain

Source: Asianfanatics

Rain is in Macau for his Six to Five Fashion Concert. At the press conference before the fashion concert, Rain told the press that Michael Jackson was his idol since he was young and is the motivation for his dancing. Michael Jackson has definitely affected Rain's life.

Many of our readers pointed out that MJ passed away on Rain's birthday. Rain celebrated his 27th birthday on 25th June and for the first time in ten years, he spent his birthday in Seoul, with his family. It was a happy day for him, until he found out about his idol's death the very next day, at the airport, on his way to Macau.

That's sad for Rain that his hero died on his birthday.

Here's a video of Rain and other Korean artists dancing to Michael Jackson's songs :)


Youtube Link

Shanghai Building Collapses

Source: China Daily

A 13-floor apartment building under construction collapsed Saturday morning in Shanghai, killing one worker.

Witnesses said the whole building started to fall down at about 5:30 am on Saturday and a 28-year-old worker surnamed Xiao from Anhui province was buried in the collapse and killed, the Xinhua news agency reported. No other casualties are reported.

Zhang Supong, a witness across a river to the collapsed building, said his family and neighbors were shocked when they felt the earth shake in the morning.

"It was just like an earthquake," he told China Daily, adding there was no visual damage in his apartment.

The authorities have ordered suspension of the construction and a thorough investigation of the collapse.

A man, who is in his 30s and declined to be named, told China Daily that he just bought an apartment beside the collapse building and with this accident, he would terminate the contract with the property developers.

The apartment building is at a premium location in Shanghai, about five metro stops from downtown areas, and is sold at a price of 18,000 yuan per sq m.

Local media reported on Friday that some cracks appeared on the anti-flood bank near the collapsed building, but the cause of the cracks was also uncertain.

A) This is what happens when you cut corners (literally)
B) This is what happens when your building is 13 floors. It should have only been 8 floors.

I thought Michael Jackson was white!

Source: Japan Times

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura was quick to retract what could be considered a racist remark Friday over the color of late pop star Michael Jackson's skin.

During a news conference Friday morning, the media reported a news flash on Jackson's death, and Kawamura was asked by a reporter to comment on his passing.

Admitting that he was not very familiar with either Jackson or his songs, Kawamura expressed regret over the sudden tragedy, and went on to reveal that he had seen the late singer at former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung's inauguration in 1998.

"I had extremely little knowledge (about Jackson) but I remember he looked completely white and I did not get the impression that he was black at all," Kawamura said.

Later during the same news conference, Kawamura withdrew his statement, saying it could cause "misunderstanding."

His words "must not be (considered) a discriminatory remark," Kawamura said. "That was not my intention at all . . . please let me retract it.

"It was extremely regrettable that such a major star met with an untimely death," Kawamura said.

Unlike Prime Minister Taro Aso, who has been repeatedly criticized for his verbal gaffes, the soft-spoken Kawamura is usually more careful, often attempting to explain and excuse his boss' slips of the tongue.

Stoopid politicans always trying to say the right thing. If you don't Michael Jackson just say so.

"I didn't really listen to his music but I know he was immensely popular and he'll be missed by his fans."

That's it!

Blue, Red, and Green Japanese beer!

Source: Japanorama

One beer two beer red beer blue beer! Japan's
Abashiri Brewery is well on their way to offering us the united colors of beer, though nobody seems to have requested this of them. Regardless, Okhotsk Blue (also known as Ryuho Draft) joins Abashiri's rainbow-hued beer lineup along with Hamanasu Red draft and Shiretoko Green draft.

Here's a short video from Abashiri showing the cool blue beer and a bit of the local scenery:


Youtube Link

.....more

Not sure I would like coloured or flavoured beer. Reminds of Dennis Leary standup about Cranberry Beer :)


Youtube Link

Made in China: 55 Millionaires Daily

Source: Luxury Insider

Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management estimates that 55 millionaires are created every day in China, despite the trying times. The Capgemini and Merrill Lynch World Wealth Report notes that China’s millionaire population actually dropped by some 12 percent in 2008 but the Chinese wealth machine has not hit the brakes.

The daily China millionaire estimate is attributed to Dan Sontag, president of Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management.

Now in its 13th year, the survey defines millionaires as those with USD1 million or more in investible assets (including real estate). Surprisingly, the USA’s wealthy population was not the worst hit by far, dropping by a mere 19 percent to settle at 2004 levels.

Ah communism. The ideology where capitalism is evil and everyone in the state works equally. Can't believe people were so stupid back then to be duped. There is no equality. The gap between rich and poor in China is so wide now there's no middle class!

Olivia Munn Topless in Playboy - Sort of. BLAH

Meh. I think her in the Wonder Woman outfit is hotter

Source: Moo News

Olivia Munn, the co-host for G4’s Attack of the Show, has been featured in the July-August issue of Playboy, which was on store shelves on June 19. Although she wanted to pose for the cover of the men’s magazine, Munn didn’t want to get totally naked.

She said that she told them ‘no’ immediately about going nude. Unless someone is 40 and they need to prove something, Munn continued, she didn’t think that she needed to be naked for the shoot. She thought it would be a sellout on her part if she did, but she turned out to like telling everyone that she got the offer to pose - she was very excited.

Soon, Playboy called her back to confirm that they would agree to do a non-nude photo shoot. In the photos of the spread, Munn appears naked, but her hair is covering her breasts. Despite the fact that there is nothing showing, which is totally odd for Playboy, the pics of Munn are still very hot.

The topless, yet non-topless photos, which look like something out of a Maxim magazine, leave a little to the imagination - something that her legions of fans certainly have. Although they wish that Munn would bare it all for them, they may miss the mystery later if she did.

Munn said that even though she didn’t want to do the spread nude, she doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with the other girls who do. She added that she is very proud for being on the cover of the mag.

The July-August Issue? When did playboy go to once every two months an issue? They must be hurting. Also, when has playboy agreed to have someone topless but not showing anything. If there's no titties it don't count.

Plus it makes no sense for Munn. She's says only washed up celebs do it so what's she saying about herself? If I were to be on playboy, my dad would kill me, and I'd have to go all the way or not at all. This partial covering up nudity is pretty lame. What a cop-out.

There are hotter pictures in Maxim!

57% of 20-Somethings Ignorant of Korean War

Source: Korea Times

Fifty-nine years after the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, nearly four in 10 South Koreans aren't familiar with the tragic fratricidal war, according to a recent survey.

A survey of 1,000 adults over 19, conducted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security (MPAS) in April, showed that 36.9 percent of respondents said they didn't know when the Korean War had broken out.

By age, 56.6 percent of those in their 20s said they didn't know when the war had occurred, while 28.7 percent of those in their 30s and 23 percent of those in their 40s said the same thing, it said.

``This is a very serious problem that more and more people, especially youngsters, are not well aware of or not interested in the Korean War, where millions of South Koreans were killed,'' an official of the Ministry of National Defense said. ``Pan-governmental efforts are required to make people understand properly about the Korean War and, in particular, educate youngsters about the war and history.''

The official referred to a survey last year, suggesting that more than 35 percent of elementary school students misunderstood that the Korean War had broken out following the South's invasion into the North.

The war broke out on June 25, 1950, when North Korean troops invaded the South, crossing the 38th parallel, the line diving the two Koreas. Twenty-one countries dispatched troops under the United Nations flag to fight against North Koreans backed by China.

The war resulted in a devastating death toll with at least 2 million Korean civilians killed, according to data. South Korea sustained more than 1 million casualties, while estimated communist casualties were 2 million. Casualties among the United Nations allies totaled 16,532.

The war ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The two Koreas remain technically at war.

.....more

Similar to the previous article about Korean-Canadians being sympathetic to North Korea I find this story puzzling. How can South Koreans not know their history? In Canada WWI and WWII were more than 60 years ago but all Canadians know the stories and pay our respects everytime there's Remembrance Day or an anniversary.

Is the South Korean school system just not teaching anything related to the war? If so that's a shame cause all war veterans should be rememebered. Why is there no hatred at all between the two Koreas? Is it foreshadowing for a possible reunification? That's seems to be a pipedream. As the article states, the two countries are still at war. IIRC The Vietnam war ended nearly 35 years ago and the two sides still hate each other. They still argue over the flag every day!

Asian Ripoff LXIX - Michael Jackson

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery right? The King of Pop had a huge influence in Asia where many of his songs were covered. Most of them were in movies. Here are some.

Smooth Criminal - from the Chinese movie short The Terrorists of Birdcage Mountain


Youtube Link

Beat It - from the Chinese movie 007 vs. the man in black


Youtube Link

Indian Thriller

Youtube Link

And of course there was Suleman Mirza who absolutely destroyed Britain's Got Talent one year. (he should have won)


Youtube Link

RIP MJ!

Korean-Canadian sympathy for North Korea?

Source: London Free Press

Past comments by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff are coming back to haunt him as members of the Korean community accuse him of suggesting he would starve North Koreans.

While at Harvard in 2005, Ignatieff said, “I strongly support reductions in food aid” to strengthen the international community’s negotiations with North Korea on nuclear weapons.

“Is that a difficult human rights problem? You bet. But that’s where I would go,” he said at the time. “I would look at the food aid, and all the bilateral stuff we are doing that keeps this odious regime going.”

His comments have now touched a nerve in the Korean community.

“He is realistically saying let’s starve the North Korean people and let’s see if the North Koreans will feed them,” said Jack Kim, executive director of the human rights organization HanVoice.

Kim, who said he only recently became aware of Ignatieff’s comments, plans to ask Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay to clarify them at a roundtable with other Korean groups in Toronto Thursday.

.....more

Koreans please educate me. Why would Korean-Canadian be upset that a leader wants to starve North Korea? Isn't North Korea THE ENEMY? I would have thought they would be jumping for joy.

Do Korean-Canadians support North Korean people cause they think they if you starve North Korea, they will be attacked? What is the motive here?

China bans all porn, even sex ed!

Source: Reuters

Ordinary web users in China will be banned from surfing sex-related medical and research websites from next month, amid an Internet crackdown on pornographic online content, according to new regulations.

Medical information service providers must install software to ensure only professionals can access sites that carry information and research about sex, the regulations on the website of the Ministry of Health (www.moh.gov.cn) said.

"It is prohibited to spread pornographic content in the name of sex-related scientific research," the regulations said.

But the rules risk slowing sexual health education in a country where many people are too embarrassed to talk publicly about sex.

Chat rooms on health channels in popular web sites, which are one of the few sources of information on sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases, may also be covered by the regulations.

"The health sections of web portals are not allowed to conduct sex-related research services," the regulation added.

The rules do not specify exactly what is covered by "scientific research" into sex.

The rules come after a series of anti-porn efforts that culminated in the announcement earlier this month that Beijing would demand the installation of "Green Dam" Internet filtering software on all new personal computers manufactured or shipped after July 1.

Just like anything in life. The internet has both good a bad elements. We all know the internet can be a dangerous place where kids and teenagers can run into violent, sex and tasteless sites. But technological advances is always really fascinating to me. Kids now can take pictures, upload them, text 100 miles an hour. When I was a kid I couldn even turn Bumblebee back into a car :(

The Chinese government is scared of EVERYTHING and the more they restrict the better for them to maintain control. In this case they will lose out alot on sexual health and education in a country that is still too naive about sex and too embarassed to ask.

That's the wrong taco, meng!

Source: USA Today

A Hindu father from Ohio has filed a complaint with the Justice Department claiming his son was forced to eat a beef taco in the school cafeteria.

Ashish Gandhi says the boy ate the taco at the Academy of World Languages, a public magnet school in Cincinnati. Hindus consider eating beef a sacrilege.

Cincinnati Public Schools attorney Gary Winters told investigators the boy chose the taco himself, and the employee who gave it to him was unaware of his dietary restrictions.

Gandhi, who moved to the U.S. from India in 2007, calls the taco meal an "intentional act of religious bigotry." He filed a separate complaint claiming the school has refused to offer his son services for students who don't speak English.

Woah woah woah. There's an Academy of World Languages? What do they each there? Forced to eat? How do you force anyone to eat anything? It's a cafeteria! The kid should know what looks like meat and what doesn't. It's his religion!

How did the father know that the his kid ate beef? Was he there to witness it? How does the kid even know what beef taste like? If the kid went home and told his dad that he had beef and the kid knew what he was doing right?

So according to the dad, let's say for example I'm the employee. I take the student down to the cafeteria and say "Hey kid, this is all the stuff we have in this wonderful cafeteria, have at her". That's it right? My responsibility is done right? I've offered this wonderful student a meal.

This father wants me to

A) Offer he son food
B) Be aware of what his son can or cannot eat
C) Be able to speak hindi

Does he want me to spoonfeed it to him too? What does he think this is? Wolfgang Puck's Fine Dining? It's a fucking school cafeteria. He's lucky they give the kid any food at all and the fat cafeteria monitor lady (we all had one) doesn't shove it up his throat.

With attitudes like this, he seriously should be sent back home to India. I support deportation.

RIP Michael Jackson

So I sit here watching tv and see "Michael Jackson Dies" all over the tv screen.

My favorite singer growing up. My dad bought me the Thriller cassette when I was 5 and my brother and I would play it constantly.

My dad just walked into the house and saw the tv.

First reaction:

"Did his skin fall off ir something?"

I smirked a bit but now I'm sad again.

Stick Your Finger Up A Melon

Source: Yahoo!

A kung fu master has jabbed his way into the Malaysian records book after piercing four coconuts with his index finger in a little over 30 seconds, according to a newspaper report.

Ho Eng Hui, 55, made it into the Malaysia Book of Records for coconut opening with his 30.81 second feat, the New Straits Times reported Monday.

"Now, I will start preparing myself to get into the Guinness Book of World Records," Master Ho told the newspaper.

"This is not an illusion or black magic. I am able to do this after mastering the Chinese martial art technique of using the strength of my finger, from a martial arts master in Singapore."

Hundreds of people, many of them tourists, witnessed the record breaking coconut piercing in Malacca on Saturday.

Master Ho smashed his previous record of breaking three coconuts in 70 seconds.

Youtube Link


OW!

Japanese Playboy No More?

Source: Mainichi

Naked blondes, interviews with celebrities, hardboiled detective stories ... Up until it disappeared from newsstands last November, the Japanese version of American men's magazine Playboy -- Monthly Playboy, published by Shueisha -- was crammed with Japan's vision of the U.S.

The first issue of "the men's magazine of the world" went on sale in May 1975. Just 11 years after restrictions on foreign travel were relaxed, the U.S. was still something of a mystery in Japan, with just 750,000 people travelling there a year. Its 440,000 first print run sold out in a few hours; and after six months, it had a circulation of around 900,000 copies.

Chin Naito, 68, former writer of the famous column "Yomazu ni Shineru ka!" misses those days.

"Back then, anything from America was news. The pin-ups, the hard news, they were all 'letters from America.' That's why it sold."

For Japanese, America in the mid-1970s was far from ideal. Following the Watergate scandal of 1974 and the ignominious end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the rotten side of the nation that had inspired both yearning and fear during the 30 years following World War II was revealed, setting the stage for fighting out against traditional authority and values.

Among the young people of Japan, who'd been defeated in the university riots of 1968 and the political crises of 1970, there was both an affinity with the poor side of the United States, and a yearning for the vital idea of America. The content and production of Monthly Playboy reflected the deeply mixed feelings of the era.

.....more

Mystery always creates intrigue. The more you don't know about something the more you want to know about it. The Japanese knew nothing about the US but could get a sense of it through playboy. Blonde naked girls? WOW! American articles about sex? WOW!

The equivalent in Canada would those old CCCP guys! Remember them? In 1972 we heard that the Soviets had a decent hockey team that won many amateur tournaments. Let's have a friendship series that promotes the game and we can teach them a few things and improve them. The two teams nearly killed each other. The US miracle on Ice was the same too. It was our way or living against their way of living. Now what is there? Canada-Russia doesn't have the same impact. I'm sure the CCCP girls were hot and mysterious too behind the iron curtain. Now, not so much.

I guess North Korea is the mystery now? If you sent playboy to North Korea it would be really popular! And North Korean girls are mysterious to us too right?

Asian Ripoff LXVIII - There You'll Be

Artist: A-Mei Chang
Language: Mandarin

Youtube Link

Very good. Voice is pretty good and capture the feeling of the song that is usually lost in covers.

Japanese like American Food

Source: Slate

The image of Japan as being inhospitable to imports is old, enduring, and not entirely unjustified. The government is offering immigrants from South America—many themselves descendants of Japanese emigrants—$3,000 to return home (the better to free up jobs for native-born Japanese). The vista that meets visitors at Narita Airport is hardly more welcoming: masked staffers, health disclosure forms, and a sign warning that people who are coming in from countries such as Bolivia and Brazil must go in a special line. (They're looking for either soccer players or swine flu.) On the 80-minute ride from Narita Airport to Tokyo, I tried in vain to spot an imported car on the road.

But Japan—Tokyo, at least—isn't uniformly hostile to imports. Though fiercely proud of its many cuisines, Japan is surprisingly open to food-related businesses from overseas. I instantly marked the Subway franchise as the place to turn off the main drag to get to the hotel. An array of recognizable names welcomes visitors to Gaien-Higashi Street: Wolfgang Puck, McDonald's, Outback Steakhouse, the Hard Rock Café (with Hello Kitty playing the guitar in the window). And there's even the ne plus ultra mediocre American cuisine: T.G.I. Friday's. I've traveled about 20 hours and 7,000-odd miles to wind up in a strip mall. Tokyo's SPC (Starbucks per capita) ratio rivals that of Manhattan. And there are also what might be dubbed theoretical imports—faux American brands that exist only outside the United States, such as Bagel & Bagel, which features the ice bagel. (To me that sounds more like a Jewish congregation in Manitoba than something to put some lox on.)

.....more

I think the article here is trying to say that even though it seems that the Japanese don't like foreigners but they like foreign food and so that might ease relations and help people learn about each other. I think that's kind of irrelevant. Food is a service and people don't mind other races when they're serving them. People don't really care where the food comes from and sometimes they just want something different.

For example, Chinese takeout is very popular in America. The fact that people like it doesn't mean they like Chinese people. In fact I think it's the opposite. If there were to be a racist American, he would want the Chinese guy to make cheap Chinese food and nothing else. No professionals and no trades people. Just a slave to service. I bet you someone from the KKK wouldn't mind a Chinese guy delivering food to him all the time. But if you take his job from him, he'll whack you.

Sake Education Show

Source: Wine Library TV

Here is a show about the most underappreciated wine of them all. SAKE!

Alot of background in the first part, taste testing and details in the second part.


Youtube Link


Youtube Link

Love Gary's stuff always bring so much energy and information in his videos.

Where was lesbian manga when I was young?

Source: After Ellen

Strawberry Panic! is the story of Aoi Nagisa, a transfer student who comes to Astrea Hill, a campus that houses three elite girls' schools: St. Miator; St. Spica and St. LuLim.

Amid spring sunshine and the cherry blossoms swirling in the wind, Nagisa meets and is seduced by charismatic playgirl Hanazono Shizuma.

Shizuma is the current Etoile ("star") — the elected figurehead of the three schools.

Meanwhile, another transfer student, the angelic Kotohana Hikari, has managed to do what no one else has ever done, by capturing the heart of Ohtori Amane, known as the "Prince" of St. Spica.

In the grand tradition of Japanese Girls Love literature, the students of all three schools are caught up in a dance around these two transfer students as the election for the campus's new Etoile approaches.

The story follows Nagisa as she is captivated, teased by, and ultimately falls in love with Shizuma, who has a reputation for loving and leaving her women. Nagisa struggles with the difficulty of being a transfer student who has gained the attention of the Etoile, trying to avoid becoming the most recent in a long line of hearts that Shizuma has wooed and broken.

.....more

Woo! A lesbian love triangle in high school. That's a bit young to involved in stuff like this no? I always wondered if gay and lesbian issues were taboo in Japan. Seems suitable for kids in Japan to be reading this. I'm not sure a manga/comic like this would be allowed in the US with the looney right wing having as much power as it does.

Strawberry Panic

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Here's the teaser trailer for The Last Airbender



Youtube Link

Looks really good! Just reading up on it, it looks like a multi-cultural cast. Aang is going to be played by a really talented kid named Noah Ringer who he’s phenomenal. So yeah the kid is white but Aang looks white in the anime anyways. I've only seen the odd episode here and there and I found the Avatar story is better than Dragonball so there's alot more of a story to work with.

Japanese addresses: No street names. Block numbers.

Source: Derek Sivers

I love learning something that flips my head upside down. So, let’s look at one of the coolest head-flippers I’ve found: Japanese addresses.

Imagine you’re standing in Chicago and a Japanese man asks you, “What’s the name of this block?”

Mailing addresses in Japan, after naming the province and city, are a series of three numbers: district number, block number, building number. That’s how the building is found. No street names.


Thinking you’ve misunderstood the question, you say, “This is Erie Street. We’re between Wabash Ave and Rush Street.”

But the man asks you again, “No. Not the streets. This. (Pointing to the middle question mark on the map, below.) What’s the name of this block?”

You say, “Uh. That’s the block between Huron and Erie, between Wabash and Rush.”

(Blocks don’t have names! Streets have names! Blocks are just the chunks of land in-between streets. Duh!)

He leaves disappointed.

--------

Now imagine you’re standing in Tokyo. You ask someone, “What’s the name of this street?”

Thinking she’s misunderstood the question, she says, “This is block 5. That is block 8.”

But you ask again, “Huh? No. This. (Pointing to one of the question marks on the map, below.) What’s the name of this street?”

She says again, “Uh. This is block 5. That is block 8.” (See the map, below.)

See: in (most of) Japan, streets don’t have names! Blocks have numbers! Streets are just the empty space in-between blocks. Duh!

And the buildings on the block are numbered in order of age. The first building built there is #1. The second is #2, even if it’s on the opposite side. So you end up with house numbers that look like this:



Cool Huh?

It's even cooler in Vietnam.. It's blocks and streets!

A Vietnamese address would look like this:

267/56/70/25 Area XXX, District XXX, Street XXX

Go to Area XXX, then District XXX then Street XXX then block 56, turn at block 70 and turn at block 25 and find house number 267 :)

Becoming Canadian

Source: Metro Ottawa

It has been almost 30 years since she left her native Vietnam.

But while she thrives in Ottawa — a city she’s happily called home since 1981 — lawyer Nhung Hoang remains active in the immigrant community helping people in refugee camps.

“I have been a refugee, so I want to help them,” she said. “They need a place that they can call home.”

Looking back on her arrival in Ottawa, Hoang said the first time she stepped out of the hotel she was staying in, it was so cold that she had to immediately run back inside. It was a sunny day, so she just assumed it would be warm.

After all, the 25-year-old had just flown to Canada after a six-month stay in a refugee camp in Hong Kong.

Before arriving in Hong Kong, Hoang had worked as an English as a second language teacher in Danang, Vietnam.

In July 1980 — unable to tolerate life under the communist regime — Hoang’s parents put her and her brother on a boat to Hong Kong.

They spent five days at sea before the Hong Kong Royal Marine Police escorted the boat to shore.

Because she could speak English, Hoang worked as an interpreter at the Red Cross clinic in the refugee camp until the Government of Canada sponsored her and her brother to move to Ottawa.

When she arrived, Hoang took a four-month course in electronics assembly at Algonquin College.

Despite a degree in education from a university in Vietnam, she could only find work in a factory. After one year in the factory, she enrolled at the University of Ottawa and got a sociology degree, which was followed by a law degree in 1988. Huang was called to the bar in March 1990.

“At the time, my mom and dad were still in Vietnam. My father worked for the former regime and they could hide some gold that they could sell to eat,” she said. “That’s how I could go to school. We were lucky that we didn’t have to work very hard to send money back home to them.”

She married Jonathan Chaplan in 1993; he’s learned to speak fluent Vietnamese. They have a son, 15.

“In Canada, to use the title of an exhibition at Canadian Museum of Civilization … we are Vietnamese Boat People: No Longer,” she said. “Many of us became engineers, computer programmers, medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists, professors, teachers and business people.”

It's a really good story about Vietnamese immigrants coming to Canada in the last 70s and early 80s with nothing and making a life for themselves.

Although the attitude in last quote in the article has always bothered me.

“In Canada, to use the title of an exhibition at Canadian Museum of Civilization … we are Vietnamese Boat People: No Longer,” she said. “Many of us became engineers, computer programmers, medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists, professors, teachers and business people.”

Vietnamese Boat People: No Longer bothers me. No matter how successful you become you're always a boat person. It is part of your identity and your bravery for escaping the ruthless communist regime.

Secondly, why it it always just engineers, computer programmers, medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists, professors, teachers and business people? I've never liked this elitist attitude. People who are these professionals often thumb their noses at the same boat people who aren't as successful, even people on the same boat. Obviously this isn't the case here as this lady has used her position to help other refugees to come to Canada. However I still don't like the quote.


There are just as many successful mechanics, restaurant owners, jewelers, electricians, welders, home designers/carpenters etc etc.

And if you are not aware of how boat people escaped Vietnam. Here's the late Ed Bradley's report on the boat people in 1979.


Youtube Link

Soccer: Iraq Eliminated

Tsk tsk tsk. Iraq got all the help it needed and still couldn't make the semifinals.

Spain defeated South Africa 2-0 which meant Iraq simply had to beat New Zealand to qualify. New Zealand SUCK. But Apparently Iraq aren't good enough to beat them.

Both Iraq and NZ go out of the competition without scoring a goal!


Youtube Link

The NZ keeper saving with his face was pretty cool :P

Colour My Ball

If I played golf this would be my ball :)

Source: Daily Yomiuri

Though pristine white golf balls have been de rigueur since time immemorial, professional and amateur golfers alike are increasingly turning to colored balls in a bid to enhance their fashion credentials--and their score cards.

Earlier this month, Bic Camera Inc.'s Yurakucho store in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, set up a colored golf ball section within its golfing goods department.

"More than half our female customers choose colored balls, and many people are buying them as a present," a store official said. The official went on to say that many people see the white balls as somewhat formal, and as a result, many beginners opt for the more vibrant sporting spheres.

According to a survey by major golf-goods maker Bridgestone Sports Co., 32 percent of amateur golfers said they had used colored balls in 2007, while this figure increased to 39 percent for 2008.

This trend was especially marked among female amateur golfers, with 75 percent of female respondents saying they had been teeing off with the more vivid balls in 2008--an increase of 65 percent from 2007.

Reasons cited for using the norm-bucking product include ease of distinction from others' balls and quick detection after having sliced into the rough.

While there are rules governing the size and aerodynamics of standard golf balls, there are no stipulations regarding color. Though colored balls appeared on the market in the 1980s, they proved no more than a novelty hit due to limited painting techniques and generally low quality.

However, thanks to recent advances in manufacturing techniques, makers can now produce colored golf balls on a par with their paler spherical cousins--a fact that has helped boost the popularity of the eye-catching orbs.

Professional golfers, too, are bringing a splash of color to the fairways. Shigeki Maruyama, who used a yellow ball for the season's opening domestic tour, said, "It's easy to visualize and follow the trajectory [of colored balls]"

Golfers already wear colourful clothes and still wear plaid and funny hats. Might as well have coloured balls. I know on the LPGA Paula Creamer used a pink golf ball. In fact she wear all pink on Sundays. We all know Tiger Woods wears red on Sundays. Perhaps he should start using a red ball!

Geisha’s Dice for iPhone and iPodTouch

Source: Tokyo Digital News

Geisha's DICE is a very simple dice game. The Geisha dealer faces one to about 10 players from behind the tatami table.


Youtube Link


Youtube Link

Looks like a pretty cool game.

I wonder if it could match the greatest movie scene ever involving dice :D


Youtube Link

Blood: The Last Vampire Is A Bust

Source: Korea Herald

Despite Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun's efforts to prove her acting ability, her latest film is proving a box-office flop.

"Blood: The Last Vampire," Jun's Hollywood debut film, which was released at local theaters on June 11, has drawn around 70,000 viewers through June 20, Korea Film Council said yesterday.

The figures are far behind its competitors, such as Korean flick "Running Turtle (Geobugi dalinda)," which has drawn more than 550,000 since opening on the same day.

With hotly anticipated movies such as "Haeundae" and "Transformers 2: The Revenge of the Fallen" on their way, the prospects for "Blood" look grim.

It is quite a tough situation for Jun, who has not had a real box-office hit since "My Sassy Girl (2001)" and faces criticism that her main job is modeling for TV commercials.

Critics cited Jun's failure to deliver the complicated emotions of her character, Saya, as one of the major reasons for the film's failure.

The loose plot which largely differed from the original Japanese animation that the film is based on and the poor computer graphics are also cited as reasons for the film's lack of appeal.

Here's the official site and trailer.

Can't say I'm impressed with the trailer. Not a movie I would race to the theatre to see.

Let's Hire a Girlfriend Every Sunday!

Source: Thanh Nien

Hong hangs out with him every Sunday, meets his friends, listens to his tales of happiness and woe, and even cooks for him sometimes if he wants, but they never make love.

The garment factory worker is an occasional escort who gets paid VND300,000-500,000 (US$17-28) for playing girlfriend for half a day or a full day.

More middle-aged men in Ho Chi Minh City feel lonely and stressed out from work these days and want a girl to go out with, and tell their troubles to, with no strings attached.

Their loneliness has given birth to what is a new service in Vietnam whereby a man hires a girl to be his “lover for a day.” Most of the chaste escorts have moved to the city from the Mekong Delta countryside to work in the factories.

For Hong, it started out by accident when a co-worker told her about a cousin, a forty-something businessman with no emotional ties who just wanted a girl beside him on Sundays.

The first time they met, the businessman told Hong he needed a girl to accompany him sometimes when he met his friends or went to the café on Sundays. Aside from that, they would have nothing to do with each other.

“He made it clear that he needed a tender girl to listen to him, and no sex,” said Hong, who comes from An Giang Province and works in Tan Tao Industrial Park in Binh Tan District.

Even with overtime, she makes VND1.5 million a month at most from her factory job.

“I lose nothing working as a girlfriend. All I have to do is go out with him and listen to him, and I get money. It helps that he’s an educated and kind man.”

The extra job allows Hong to send more money home while the man was, and still is, happy to have someone to talk to about his work, sometimes his family troubles, and feel proud to have a pretty and well-behaved girl of his own to introduce to his friends.

Some of these friends were quick to catch on and asked Hong to introduce her co-workers to be their “girlfriends.”

.....more

VND1.5 million is $100 US.

I think it's a pretty cute idea. Some men just need a companion to talk to, to discuss his troubles inlife. I don't like the part where he needs a girl to meet friends. They're his friends and they wouldn't think any less of him if he didn't have a gf. His friends are probably single too since single guys hang out together.

Could this work? If the guy is successful and she talks to him every Sunday, wouldn't they get closer and closer. Eventually there would have to be some feelings right?

If you're a guy, would you pay to be in the friend's zone!?

Asian Ripoff LXVII - Smoke On The Water

Artist: No idea. I think this group was put together for charity.
Language: Japanese

Love it! More classic songs should be done with Japanese or Chinese instruments :)


Youtube Link

Soccer: Spain-Iraq

Source: FIFA

Iraq held their own against European Champions Spain but lost 1-0. This is a good result as they are still in the hunt for a semi-final berth.

South Africa beat New Zealand 2-0. So now Iraq needs to beat New Zealand by more than 2 goals (shouldn't be a problem, New Zeland absolutely suck)and South Africa need to lose to Spain (possible)

Here are the highlights:

Youtube Link

World's oldest man dies at 113 in Japan

Source: Yahoo!

The world's oldest man, Tomoji Tanabe, died at his home in southern Japan on Friday at the age of 113, according to a local official.

Tanabe, who suffered from a chronic heart problem, passed away with his relatives at his bedside, said an official at Miyakonojo City, where he lived.

"Mr Tanabe was a symbol of Miyakonojo... and cheered up many residents," making the town a byword for longevity, said Mayor Makoto Nagamine.

When Tanabe turned 113 on September 18, he said the secret to his longevity was a big appetite but a strict diet, together with avoiding alcohol, cigarettes and snacks.

Tanabe, who lived with a son and daughter-in-law, had eight children, 25 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

Japan has one of the world's highest life expectancy rates, attributed in part to a diet traditionally rich in fish, rice and vegetables.

The world's oldest known person is 115-year-old Gertrude Baines who lives in Los Angeles.

That pretty cool to live in 3 different centuries! I dont think I have a chance, I'd have to live past 120 :P

Thai and Lao Food: Tangy and Hot

Source: NY Times

IT is a long way, Kwan Bellhouse said last week, from planting rice in her parents’ paddies in northeastern Thailand to roasting it in Kwan Thai, her small restaurant here in Rockland County.

“Only the smell is the same,” she said, as the raw grains turned from starched white to dark brown, and the lime leaves and lemon grass fronds she added to the kata (a wood-handled wok) curled and singed. The roasted rice and herbs would be ground into a smoky, nutty powder that gives depth to her larb gai, a dish of chopped chicken, mint, basil and red onions dressed with lime juice and ground red chilies. (The dish is sometimes spelled laab, lob or lop.)

“We never get tired of eating larb, 24 hours a day,” she said. Ms. Bellhouse’s “we” refers to the people of Isan, a rural section of Thailand where she grew up, and where her parents still grow purple, jasmine and sticky varieties of rice.

Isan borders on Laos, and regardless of modern political boundaries, the people of the region have traditionally shared a language, a climate (hot, steamy) and a love for two foods: larb and green papaya salad, made from the crisp, pale green flesh of unripe papayas mixed with garlic, lime juice, tomatoes and chilies.

.....more

I've never tried Thai food! I'm afraid it's too hot and my tongue doesn't handle spices well. I might try to make it, with less spices but then it probably won't be as good.

Here are the recipies.

Chicken With Lime, Chili and Fresh Herbs (Larb Gai)

Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)

China detains 40 over exam cheating: state media

Source: Yahoo!

Chinese police have detained 40 people in multiple cases of alleged high-tech cheating on the country's make-or-break university entrance exams, state media reported.

In north Shanxi province, six people were detained for allegedly selling receivers to students so they could be fed the correct answers during the June 7-9 tests, the Xinhua news agency said late Sunday.

The detainees included four students and one middle school teacher, according to the agency.

In northeastern Jilin province, a total of 34 suspects have been detained for trying to cheat during the exams, Xinhua said.

It was not immediately clear if the suspects had been charged, or what the charges would be.

Ten million students sat for the highly competitive exams, which are considered crucial for Chinese families, as they can determine whether a student enters the country's educated elite or joins the general work force.

Authorities this year announced stepped-up efforts to crack down on cheating after more than 1,000 applicants were caught cheating on China's civil servant exams, with some using earpieces and wireless transmitters.

As mentioned in the last post, there's an immense amount of pressure for youths to succeed in China. One test at the end of high school makes or breaks your life.

You pass the test you become a somebody and go to a good school. You fail the test, you're on the manufacturing line forever.

Man, 96, graduates on same day as grandson

Source: Ananova

A 96-year-old Taiwanese man who enrolled for university to set an example for his grandson has graduated with a master's degree.

Chao Muhe, 96, and grandson Zhao Shuangzhan, 32, graduated on the same day, reports IC Media.

Chao, a retired university teacher, said he started his university studies again six years ago when his grandson was set to enroll for university.

"He didn’t work hard at all. So to set a good example for him, I told him I am to apply for university studies with him," said Chao.

He received his master’s degree in philosophy from the University of South China in southern Taiwan, while his grandson graduated from Chung Hua University.

Chao, better known to his classmates as Grandpa Chao, said he had also needed a new interest after being told he was too old to continue as a volunteer at a local hospital.

And he never missed a class - despite needing to get up at 5am each day to catch several buses to get to university.

And although he was more than 70 years older than his classmates, he says he did not feel out of place.

"We are good friends," said Chao, but added that he often had to study until 2am or even 3am to keep up with his younger classmates.

Grandpa Chao’s thesis tutor, Chen Dezhi, said his thirst for knowledge was an inspiration to the other students.

That's really cool. However it's much easier to study and graduate when you're 96 cause there's no pressure! For everyone else who's 18 there's alot of pressure. You whole future depends on graduating. If I don't graduate i'll never get a good job, parents want me to get straight A's, I'm dating this great guy and if I don't graduate he'll dump me cause I'm dumb etc....very stressful!

At 96 if he doesn't graduate then... nothing, he just goes back to being 96. He's already accomplished everything. It's easier to succeed when nothing is on the line.

But he's really nice for him to help his grandson. Graduate at 32? He must have been slacking off all those years.

North Korea Qualify for 2010 World Cup

Source: FIFA

Korea DPR will return to the FIFA World Cup™ next year for the first time since 1966. Kim Jong Hun's side sealed their second trip to the global finals with a goalless draw in Saudi Arabia, who finished third in Group 2 and will now go into an Asian Zone play-off from which the winners will face New Zealand for a place at South Africa 2010.

The Saudis' opponents will be Bahrain, who beat Uzbekistan 1-0 at home to claim third place in Group 1. However, there was agony for Iran, whose hopes of a fourth FIFA World Cup appearance ended in a 1-1 draw with the already-qualified Korea Republic.

.....more

North Koreans are back in the World Cup! The last and only time they were in the World Cup in 1996 in England they shocked the world by knocking out Italy in the gorup stages and took a 3-0 lead in 20 minutes against Portugal in the quarterfinals only to lose 5-3.

North Korea joins neighbours South Korea, Australia and Japan as the four automatics Asian qualifiers.

Here's are the highlights of today's match. North Korea survived wave after wave of attacks and held on for the draw they needed to qualify.


Youtube Link

There was a documentary called The Game of Their Lives about that 1966 team.


Youtube Link

Teaching Bus Passengers Driving Safety Laws

Source: Xinjiang - Far West China

Here are some really entertaining traffic signs in Xinjiang! They're very cute!

Yield for Safety's Sake

Don't Drive Tired

Exceeding the Speed Limit is Dangerous

Slow Down Around Corners

Don't Exceed Seating Capacity

Driving after Drinking is Strictly Forbidden

Choose the Correct Lane